cell · sell
cell /sɛl/ vs sell /sɛl/ — homophones. Both use the short /ɛ/ vowel. Different spelling, different meaning, identical sound.
🔊 These two words sound EXACTLY the same
/sɛl/
Different spelling. Different meaning. Identical pronunciation.
noun — two meanings: (1) a small room in a prison · (2) a tiny unit of life — 'prison cell' · 'blood cell' · 'brain cell' · 'solar cell'
mouth shape
short /ɛ/ — mouth slightly open, tongue mid-low — like 'bed', 'red', 'tell'
cell
/sɛl/
vowel length
verb — to exchange something for money — 'sell a car' · 'sell out' · 'best-seller' · opposite of 'buy'
mouth shape
identical to cell — /sɛl/ — these two words are perfect homophones
sell
/sɛl/
vowel length
Key difference
There is no pronunciation difference — both are /sɛl/.cell has two meanings (a prison room or a unit of biology); sell is a verb meaning to exchange for money. In writing, remember: sell has a double-L and comes from buying and selling.
Example sentences
cell:“The prisoner was locked in his cell.”
cell:“The human body has trillions of cells.”
sell:“I want to sell my old bike.”
sell:“The tickets sold out in minutes.”
Hear it in a sentence
“The prisoner spent twenty-three hours a day in his cell.”
“They decided to sell the flat and move to the countryside.”
Hear it in the wild
Real speech from native speakers — the most reliable way to check a pronunciation, since automated audio can vary by device and browser.
cell
Hear native speakers say “cell” in real sentences — news, lectures, and podcasts.
Opens YouTube-sourced clips in a new tab.
sell
Hear native speakers say “sell” in real sentences — news, lectures, and podcasts.
Opens YouTube-sourced clips in a new tab.
How teachers explain this
Approved tips from the community, sorted by helpfulness
Word families
cell family ▸
sell family ▸
Comments
Comments are reviewed before they appear publicly.